Ladder or tower wagon.



PATENTED MAY` 8, 1906.

G. A. HARRISSON. LADDER 0R TOWER WAGON.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.20, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SIIBBT 1,

manzw, a, annum ou. .nomumonmwnzna msmuumn, nv n l' PATENTE) MAY 8, 1906.

G. A. HARRISSON. LADDER 0R TOWER WAGON. APPLICATION FILED 0OT.20, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. A. HARRIssoN.

LADDER RTOWER WAGON. APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 2o, 1964.

PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNTTEE sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

LADDER on TOWER WAGON.

. Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1906.

Application filed October 20,1904. Serial No. 229,246

.T0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. HARnissoN, of La Fayette, county of Tippecanoe, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Ladder or Tower Wagon and I do hereby declare that the following isv a full, clear, and exact description thei eof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a practical and conveniently-o erated ladder or tower wagon wherein the adder or tower may be elevated.

The invention relates to fi'. e-laddei s for the use of firemen and tower-wagons for use by sti eet-railway companies in wo'. king on trolley-wires or for any other purpose.

The main feature of the invention consists in an arrangement whereby the ladder or tower is elevated from and supported at its lower end near the middle of the wagon instead of at either end.

Another feature consists in the lower ends of the ladder or tower being located at the sides of the wagon near the middle and at a very low position, so as to avoid tipping.

These and the other features of my invention will be under stood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view yof a ladder-wagon with pai ts removed and the ladder in its lower position. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and extending somewhat farther inward below the middle of the wagon than shown in Fig. 2 and showing the brake apparatus. Fig. 4 is the brake-lever. Fig. 5is a per spective view of the ladder-wagon with the ladder in elevated position. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the lower end of one side of the ladder, the rack-bar, and support for the ladder, parts being broken away. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a portion of the front of the wagon, showing in detail the means for suppoi ting the f. ont end of the ladder when collapsed, parts being broken away and parts in dotted lines. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a portion of the wagon, showing a modified form of a tower-wagon in collapsed condition. Fig. 10 shows the same with the platform elevated.

In detail the drawings show a wagon, the tongue being removed, that has a rear axle 10 and a longitudinally-extended frame provided with side bars 11, with suitable crossybars 12 and downwardly-extending bars 13 and cross-bars 14, connecting the lower ends of the downwardly-extending bars and also connected with and su porting the laddersupporting ba;s 15. T e ladder-supporting bars are formed of metal, one mounted on each side of the wagon to the sides of the bars 13 and near to the bars 14 below the top of the frame and not far above the ground. The rear lower portion of said supportingbars is horizontally secured on the rear axle 10, and the forward portion is curved gradually upward toward the front, so that the forward ends of said bars extend above the top of the frame or the side bars 11 and are connected by a rod 59.

16 represents a ladder having fixed extensions 17, one on each side, said extensions being reinforced by metal plates 18, that extend below the extensions 17 and having a pair of inwardly-extending brackets 19, on which a pair of rollers 20 are mounted opposing each other and having concave perlpheries that hug and ride upon the supporting-bar 15, which is round, as appears 1n Figs. 5, 6, and 7. On each side of the ladder 16 there is a rearwardly-extending brace 120, pivoted at 21 to the rear end of the wagon-frame or side bars 11 and pivoted at 22 to the sides of the ladder. The pivot at 22 extends through slots in the ends of said brace-bars, which appear in Fig. 1. In its reclining position the ladder is su ported by the cross bar 25, mounted on t e standards 26.

The ladder is elevated by cables 27, one on each side, that are secured at 28 to the lower end of each side of the ladder and extend under pulleys 29 on the under side of the axle 10 to drums 30 on the shaft 31, mounted in the brackets 33 on the bars 32, that extend downward from the rear end of the frame of the wagon, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The

shaft 31 is turned by hand through the cranks 34 and is held from backward movement by pawls 35 and ratchets 36, the pawls being mounted in the sides of the brackets 33. The rotation of the shaft 31 winds the cables on the drums 30 and draws the forward and lower ends of the ladders rearward on the curved bars 15, the rollers 2O riding on said curved bars, and as that takes place the rear and upper end of the ladder will be forced upward by the braces 120.

When the ladder is elevated to the desired TOO IIO

'forward under the action of the braces 120 by spring-pawls 38, engaging teeth on the upper side of the supporting-bars 15, as seen in Fig. 6. The pawl is pivoted to a bracket 40, that is securedto the front face of the lower .end of the extension 17 of the ladder 16, and it is held in engagement with'the bar 15 by the spring 41 and is lifted out of engagement with said bar 15 by the finger-piece 42 when it is desired to lower the ladder.

.The ladder is lowered by first releasing the catches 36 on the brace-rods 35 and then re leasing the pawls 38 from the'bars 15. Gravity will bring down the ladder from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 1.

vwagon-frame.

`rlhe action of gravity is controlled by a brakelever 45, that is fulcrumed at 46 to a crosslbar 47 of the wagon, and the brake-shoe 48 presses on`the wheel 49, secured to the shaft` 31, asseen in Fig. 3.

In the collapsed condition of the ladder the brace-rods 135 at their lower ends rest upon hooks 52, extending laterally from the sides of the ladder 16, and in this collapsed con- -dition the forward end of the ladder is supported by a pair of cross-bars 54, that are pivoted at their inner ends to a plate 55, which in turn is pivoted to the hand-lever 56 immediately behind the seat 57, and said 'hand-lever is pivoted to the frame of the wagon'below The bars 54 have slots 55 in their outer ends, through which pins 57 extend upward from the side bars 11 to the This enables the driver of the wagon to force said bars 54 laterally outward under'the ladder after the ladder has been lowered into the position shown in Figs. 1

.and 8 and to draw them from that position to the collapsed position (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8) when it is desired to elevate the ladder. The forward ends ofthe supporting-bars 15 have connected with them a cross-rod 59.

An extension-ladder 60 may be employed, if desired, the same being operated in the well-known way by a rope 61. The number of extension-ladders may be such as desired.

lInstead of ladders water-towers or like constructions maybe used, the same being arranged and mounted exactly as the ladders heretofore shown and described.

One form of the tower-wagon is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The wagon and frame and manipulating parts are identical with what has heretofore been described. A platform is mounted and supported on the u per end of a pair of lazy-tongs 71, one half o one lower member of each lazy-tongs being the equivalent of the braces 21 in the ladder construction and the other half being equivalent to the ladder 16, and otherwise there being no difference. The upper ends of the lazy-tongs have pivot-pins 72, that extend through hori- Zontal slots 73 in the platform to permit the lowering and elevation of the platform.

From the foregoing description it is seen that the ladder or tower is in its elevated position supported about midway of the wagon and at all times the support thereof is distributed, a portion coming upon the 'rear part vof the wagon and another portion on the front of the wagon, the center of support not being far from the center ofthe wagon at all times, and in the elevated position of the ladder or towerthe side braces or bars extend down-to a position below the top of the wagon near'the ground. The curvature of the ladder-supporting bars may be modified, if desired.

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wagon of the class described, the combination with the wagon-frame, of a ladder or tower mountedthereon, rollers at the lower end of each side of theladder or tower, a supporting-bar at each side of the wagon on. which said rollers run, brace-rods pivoted at one end to the wagon-frame and at the other end to the ladder or towerabove said supporting bars, a cable connected with the lower end of the ladder or tower at each side .of the Wagon, and means for winding and unwinding said cablesso asto draw the end of the ladder or tower toward said braces whereby the ladder or tower may be elevated.

2. In a wagon of the class described, a ladder or tower mounted'thereon, a supportingbar at each side of the wagon thatare curved Aupward at their forward ends, rollers at the lower end of the ladder or `tower which run upon said supporting-bars, braces pivoted at one end to the rear of the wagon-frame and at the otherend to the ladder or tower above the lower end thereof, a cablev secured to each side of theladder or tower at the lower end thereof, and a drum mounted at the rear end of the wagon on which said cables are wound, so that said cables maybe drawn rearward in elevating the ladder ortower.

3. In a wagon of the class described, a ladder or tower mounted thereon, a supportingbar at each side ofthe wagon that is curved upward at its forward end, rollers at the lower endof the ladder or'tower which run upon said supporting-bars, braces pivoted at one end to the rear ofthe wagon-frame and at the other end to the ladder or tower above the lower endthereof, a cable secured to each IOO IIO

side of the ladder or tower at the lower end thereof, a drumv mounted at the rear end of the wagon o n which said cables are wound so that said cables may be drawn rearward in elevatin the ladder or tower, and pulleys mounte under the wagon under which said cables wind so that they will draw the lower end of the ladder or tower downward as well as rearward.

4. In a wagon of the class described, a ladder or towermounted thereon, a supportingbar at each side of the wagon that 1s curved upward at its forward end, rollers at the lower end of the ladder or tower which run upon said supporting-bars, braces pivoted at one end to the rear ofthe wagon-frame and at their other end to the ladder or tower above the lower end thereof, a cable secured to each side of the ladder or tower at the lower end thereof, a drum mounted at the rear end of the wagon on which said cable/s are wound so that said cables will be drawn rearward in elevating the ladder or tower, and a pulleyand -ratchet mechanism for holding said drums in position after the cables have been wound thereon and thereby holding the ladder or tower in its elevated position.

5. In a wagon of the class described, a ladder or tower mounted thereon, a supportingbar at each side 'of the wagon that 1s curved upward at its forward end, rollers at the lower end of the ladder or tower which run upon said supporting-bars, braces pivoted at one end to the rear of the wagon-frame and at the other end to the ladder or tower above the lower end thereof, a cable secured to each side of the ladderor tower at the, lower end thereof, a drum mounted at the rear end of the wagon on which said cables are wound so that said cables may be drawn rearward in elevating the ladder or tower, and a brake mechanism for regulating the unwinding action of the drums while the ladder or tower is being lowered.

6. In a wagon of the class described, a ladder or tower mounted thereon, a supportingbar at each side of the wagon that 1s curved upward at its forward end, rollers at the lower end of the ladder or tower which run upon said su porting-bars, braces pivoted at one end to the rear of the wagon-frame and at the other end to the ladder or tower above the lower end thereof, a cable secured to each side of the ladder or tower at the lower end thereof, a drum mounted at the rear end of the wagon on which said cables are wound so that said cables may be drawn rearward in elevating the ladder or tower, a shaft on which said drum is mounted, a friction-wheel mounted rigidly on said shaft, a fulcrumbracket secured to the rear end of the wagon, and a lever adaptedto rest upon said frictionwheel and catch under said fulcrum to serve as a brake for regulating the unwinding action of the drum,

7 ln a wagon of the class described, a ladder or tower mounted thereon, a supportingbar at each side of the wagon that is curved upward at its forward end, rollers at the lower end of the ladder or tower which run upon said supporting-bars, braces pivoted at one end to the frame of the wagon and slotted at their other ends, pivot-pins extending from each side of the ladder or tower above the lower end ythereof loosely through said slots in said braces, a cable secured to each side of the ladder or tower at the lower end thereof, and a drum mountedy at the rear end of the wagon on which said cables are wound, so that said cables may be drawn rearward in elevating the ladder or tower.

8. In a wagon of the class described, a ladder or tower mounted thereon, a supportingbar on the lower end of the ladder or tower, one bar on each side of the wagon, a pair of oppositely-placed rollers mounted on the lower end at each side of the ladder or tower, one of said rollers being above the supporting-bar and the other below, said pair of rollers hugging and traveling on said supportingbar, braces pivoted at one end to the frame of the wagon and at the other end pivoted to the inside of the ladder'or tower above the lower end thereof, and means for moving the lower end of the ladder or tower toward and away from said braces.

9. In a wagon of the class described, a ladder or tower mounted thereon with eXtensions at each side from the lower end thereof, a pair of oppositely-placed inwardly-extending brackets secured to said extensions, a supporting-bar mounted at each side of the wagon, a roller mounted in each of said inwardly-extending brackets, one above and one below each of said supporting-rods so as to hug and ride upon the same, braces pivoted at one end to the frame of the wagon and at the other end ivoted to the inside of the ladder or tower a ove the lower end thereof, and means for moving the lower end of the ladder or tower toward and away from said braces.

l0. In a wagon of the class described, the combination with a wagon-frame, of a ladder or tower mounted thereon, a roller at the lower end of each side of the ladder or tower, a supporting-bar on which said rollers run, said supporting-bars being toothed to form a rack, braces pivoted at one end to the wagonframe above said supporting bars, means connected with the lower end of the ladder or tower for moving the same upon said supporting-bars toward said brace-bars, and a pawl pivotally mounted in connection with each side ofthe ladder or tower at the lower end that engages the racks on the supportingbars and prevents the returning movement at the lower end of the ladder, and causes the ladder or tower to be maintained in its elevated position.

IIO

l1. In a wagon of the class described,1the combination with the wagon-frame, ofl a ladder or tower mounted thereon, a roller at the lower end of each side of the ladder or tower, a supporting-bar on which said rollers run, said supporting-bars being toothed to form a rack, braces pivoted at one end to the wagonframe above said supporting bars, means connected with the lower end of the ladder or tower for moving the same upon said supporting-bars toward said brace-bars, a pawl pivotally mounted in connectionwvith each side of the ladder or tower at the lower end Vthat engages the racks on the supporting-bars and prevents the returning movement at the lower end of the ladder and causes the ladder or tower to be maintained in its elevated position, and means for releasing said pawls when it is desire 3l to lower the la'der orvtower.

12. In a wagon of the class described., the combination with the wagon-frame, of a ladder or tower mounted thereon, a roller vat the lower end of each side of the ladder or tower,

a supporting-bar at each side of the wagon4 on which said rollers run, brace-rods pivoted at one end to the wagon-frame and at the other end to the ladder or tower above said supporting-bars, means connected with the lower ends of the ladder or tower for moving the same on said supporting-bars toward said brace-bars whereby the ladder or tower may be elevated, and means for supporting the lower end of the ladder or tower when the same is collapsed.

13. In a wagon of the classl described the combination with a wagon-frame, of a ladder or tower mounted thereon with each side eX- tending down beside the wagon-frame and below the top thereof, a supporting bar mounted at each side of the wagon-frame on which the lower ends of the ladder or tower are supported and move, a pair of bars slidably mounted on top of the wagon-frame withtheir outer ends adapted to su port the sides of the ladder or tower when tlde ladder is in a collapsed position, and a lever pivotally connected with the inner ends of said bars for moving them whereby they may be drawn inward to release the ladder or-tower or forced outward to support the same when desired.

In witness whereof l have hereunto aflixed 'my signature in the presence of thewitnesses herein named.

- GEORGE A. HARRISSON. Witnesses:

WM. G. MITCHELL, GEORGE ROGERS. 

